Interactive display unit for refrigerated foods

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a display unit for the distribution of products, in particular a refrigerated display unit for food products such as ice cream and the like, which includes a cabinet in the form of a chest defining an environment for containing the products and having a top opening for access. The display unit includes an electric or electronic display panel arranged near the opening in the cabinet and operable to generate a plurality of predetermined visual presentations, and control means which the user can manipulate to cause a predetermined visual presentation to be generated on the display panel.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a display unit for the distribution ofproducts, in particular to a refrigerated display unit for food productssuch as ice cream and the like.

More specifically, the subject of the invention is a display unit whichcomprises a cabinet in the form of a chest defining an environmentintended to contain the products and having an access aperture at thetop.

Cabinets of the above type are widely used for the distribution ofproducts, in particular ice cream and the like, for example insupermarkets and other points of distribution/sale such as cafes andother commercial premises.

Prior art cabinets are essentially containers for conserving theproducts which, in use, are either removed directly by the customer orby a sales or distribution assistant.

In the case of products such as ice cream and the like, the climate insuch cabinets is regulated by thermostat-controlled refrigerationsystems of a type known per se.

Until now, the design of such cabinets has generally been aimed atmerely fulfilling the essential functional requirement of containing theproducts, and possibly keeping them at a given temperature, and enablingthem to be removed more or less easily.

In a few cases, while fulfilling the basic functional requirements,attention has been given to the aesthetics of the design, so as to givethe cabinet a more attractive and pleasing appearance.

The functional characteristics of such units have, however, remainedessentially unchanged.

With the above in mind, a main object of the present invention is toprovide a display unit of the type described above which, in addition tofulfilling the aforesaid essential functional requirements, encouragesinteraction with the customer, thereby making it generally more“appealing” and thus more likely to promote the purchase of theproducts.

This and other objects are achieved according to the invention byproviding a unit for the distribution of products having a cabinet whichdefines an environment for containing the products and which has a topaccess opening. This unit includes an electric or electronic displaypanel arranged near the top access opening and operable to generate aplurality of predetermined visual displays. A control means operable bya user, generates these visual displays on the display panel, which alsopresents static images of the products contained in the unit along withassociated luminous devices that can be selectively activated bycommands from a user in operating the control means. This display unitis particularly useful for refrigerated products such as ice cream andthe like.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description which follows, provided purely byway of non-limitative example, with reference to the appended drawings,in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of an embodiment of a unitaccording to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned view taken on the line II—II of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line III—III of FIG. 1 and shows anexample of the structure of a display panel forming part of a unitaccording to the invention,

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of a unit according to the invention,showing various possible positions of the display panel,

FIG. 5 is a partially sectioned side view showing a detail of a unitaccording to the invention,

FIG. 6 is a partial front view of the detail indicated VI in FIG. 5, and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the electric/electronic components of acabinet according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a display unit for the distribution of products, inparticular a refrigerated unit for ice cream and the like, is generallyindicated 1.

This unit comprises a container 2 in the form of a cabinet, definingtherein an environment 3 (FIG. 2) intended to contain the products (notshown). At the top, the container 2 has an opening 4 giving access tothe environment 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the embodiment illustrated by way of example, two lids 5 and 6 areassociated with this opening 4, constituted essentially by two sheets oftransparent material, slidable in respective, parallel planes. Each ofthese lids extends for about half the extent of the opening 4 of thecabinet 2.

Other lid arrangements or equivalent closure elements are of coursepossible.

The display unit 1 shown in the drawings also includes an electric orelectronic display panel, generally indicated 7. This panel is arrangedalong one side of the top opening 4 of the cabinet 2 and may, inparticular, be hinged or otherwise pivoted on this side of the aperture4, as shown in FIG. 4.

As will be explained better later, the display panel 7 is generallydesigned to offer a plurality of predetermined visual presentations.

For preference, though not necessarily, the display panel 7 hasessentially the same dimensions as the top opening 4 of the cabinet 2and may be arranged in a raised, presentation position, shown in FIG. 1,or in a reclining or lowered position in which is acts as an additionallid closing the said opening 4, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

The unit 1 also includes a control panel which in the embodimentsillustrated by way of example in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 is generally indicated8. This panel can include a control keypad 9, for example of a sensitivemembrane type. Light-emitting diodes or similar luminous devices mayconveniently be associated with the keypad (see FIG. 7).

The unit 1 can also include a temperature indicator, such as thatindicated 11 in FIGS. 5 and 6, connected to a thermometer arranged inthe environment 3 to indicate the temperature inside the cabinet.

The unit 1 may also include a proximity sensor, such as that indicated12 in FIG. 1 and in FIGS. 5-7, operable to detect the presence or thepassage of a person in the vicinity of the unit and to emit acorresponding signal.

For convenience, though not necessarily, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, thekeypad 9, the temperature indicator 11 and the proximity sensor 12 maybe mounted in a common casing (indicated 13 in the said drawings) fixedto the front portion of the rim of the cabinet 2, as shown in particularin FIGS. 1 and 5.

The unit 1 may conveniently be equipped with at least oneelectro-acoustic transducer, such as a loudspeaker or the like, for thegeneration of acoustic signals and/or sound and/or vocal messages. Inthe embodiment illustrated by way of example, the unit 1 includes aloudspeaker 14 arranged in the lower portion of the display panel 7 (seeFIGS. 1, 2 and 3).

The display panel 7 may be constructed, for example, as describedhereafter, with particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 3.

In this embodiment, the panel 7 includes a casing or shell 15, ofplastics material or sheet metal for example, with a front opening 16 inwhich is mounted a plate 17 of transparent material such aspolycarbonate, A second plate 18, also made, for example ofpolycarbonate, is arranged inside the shell 15, behind the protectiveplate 17. The plate 18 carries a plurality of iconographic images of theproducts contained in the unit 1, similar, for example, to the imagesindicated 18 to 23 in FIG. 1. These images or illustrations may beapplied to the plate 18 by screen printing for example. The plate 18 hascorresponding light-emitting diodes, indicated 29-33 in FIG. 1, next tothe images 19-23 of the products.

An additional plate or sheet 24 of plastics material can also bearranged inside the shell 15, carrying a plurality of light bulbs or thelike, indicated 39-43 in FIG. 3, each of which is arranged incorrespondence with a respective product image 19-33.

The plate 18 may also carry at least one display device of analphanumeric type 26 (see FIGS. 1 and 3), for displaying messages to theusers or customers.

The various electrical/electronic devices included in the display panel7 are connected to a control unit, indicated 50 in FIG. 7, arranged in aspecial housing (not shown) preferably positioned in the rear portion ofthe cabinet 2.

The control panel 8 and the keypad 9, the light-emitting diodes and theproximity sensor 12, as well as the loudspeaker 14, are also connectedto the unit 50.

With a display unit 1 according to the invention, equipped with thecontrol keypad 9 the user or client can operate the buttons of thekeypad in order to choose from the categories of products contained inthe unit and shown on the display panel. In this event, the control unit50 is pre-set to control the selective activation of the bulbs and thelight-emitting diodes on the panel 7 which correspond to the category ofproducts selected. In addition to this visual presentation of theselected products, in accordance with the command given by the customerusing the keypad 9, the control unit 50 can cause the loudspeaker 14 togive out predetermined acoustic signals or sound and/or vocal messages.

If light emitting diodes 10 are connected to the keypad 9, the controlunit 50 may be regulated so as to activate them according topredetermined instructions, either in a stand-by condition, that is whenthere are no users near the unit 1, or upon a command given by means ofthe keypad 9. In the same way, the control unit 50 can be regulated soas to activate the light bulbs and the diodes on the panel 7 accordingto instructions which could be different, for example, for a stand-bycondition and for responding to a command on the keypad from a user.

If the display panel 7 includes an alphanumeric display, the controlunit 50 can be regulated so as to generate messages to “attract”customers in stand-by conditions and to issue predetermined messages inresponse to commands given by a user by means of the keypad 9.

The display panel could also be activated and/or acoustic signals orsound and/or vocal messages could be generated on detection by theproximity sensor 12 of the presence or passage of a user near the unit1, instead of by a command on the keypad 9.

A unit according to the invention can also be manufactured without thekeypad 9 and the associated light-emitting diodes but with only aproximity sensor to activate the display panel and/or emit acousticsignals or sound and/or vocal messages.

The display panel 7 may be made differently from the one described abovewith reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. In particular, this panel may beconstituted by a video terminal of the type used, for example, forpersonal computers, for showing static and/or dynamic images. In thisevent, the electronic control unit 50 may be set up so as to control aninteractive video game or the like, in which a customer can intervene byoperating one or more push-buttons arranged for this purpose in thekeypad 9 of the control panel.

The control unit 50 could also be equipped with a memory device in orderto retain data or signals which could be used to reproduce musical tuneswhich could be selected by the customer by means of the keypad 9 of thecontrol panel.

These tunes could then be reproduced by means of the electroacoustictransducer, or transducers, arranged in the display unit, such as theloudspeaker 14 described earlier.

A display unit according to the invention may also be set up so as tooperate a pseudo-random sequence and give a user a free product.

This can be achieved, for example, by means of a device, incorporated inthe control unit 5, which generates a pseudo-random sequence of signals,and operable to emit a corresponding message, which may be visual, forexample by means of the display panel 7, or acoustic or vocal by meansof the loudspeaker 14.

Alternatively, the device for generating pseudo-random signals may beset up so as to print, in a pseudo-random sequence, a message offering afree product by means of a printer (indicated 28 in FIG. 7) associatedwith the unit 1.

According to a further variant, the keypad 9 of the control panel of thedisplay unit 1 may be used by the customer to transmit a code and thecontrol unit 50 may include a generator of pseudo-random signals, set upto generate a randomly variable code each time a customer punches out acode, and a comparator for comparing the code punched out by thecustomer with that generated by the generator. Should the two coincide,the control unit 50 would control the emission of a visual, acoustic orvocal image announcing that a free product has been won.

Instead of the keypad 9, the user could use a bar-code reading device toenter a code, such as that indicated by block 38 in FIG. 7, connected orotherwise associated with the display unit 1 and operable to read a codewhich would be carried by a support such as a card or a ticket whichwould, for example, be given to the user at the entrance to thecommercial premises housing the display unit.

A display unit according to the invention may also have an electricmotor (such as that indicated 37 in FIG. 7) for controlling, byappropriate transmission means, the opening and closing of the lids 5, 6associated with the cabinet 2. For convenience, this motor is controlledby the control unit 50 and a user may turn it on by means of the keypad9 of the control panel of the display unit.

Naturally, the principles of the invention remaining unchanged, theembodiments and manufacturing details thereof may vary widely from thosedescribed and illustrated purely by way of non-limitative example, theinvention extending to all realisations which achieve the same utilityby the same inventive concept as defined in the annexed Claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A display unit for the distribution of foodproducts comprising: a cabinet defining an environment for containingthe products and having a top access opening, a display panel arrangednear the opening of the cabinet and operable to generate a plurality ofpredetermined visual displays, control means operable by a user in orderto generate a predetermined visual display on the display panel,associated luminous devices, and at least one movable lid associatedwith the top opening of the cabinet, wherein the display panel includesa display area showing static images of the products contained in theunit, the associated luminous devices are activated selectively by saidcontrol means, and the position of the lid is controllable by a motoractivatable by the control means.
 2. A display unit according to claim1, further comprising: a device for generating signals announcing anoffer of a free product to the user.
 3. A display unit according toclaim 2, wherein the device for generating signals is pre-set togenerate a visual display, sound, or vocal message announcing the offerof the free product.
 4. A display unit according to claim 2, wherein thedevice for generating signals is connected to a printer associated withthe unit and is set to print a message offering the free product.
 5. Adisplay unit according to claim 4, which further includes a controlpanel for enabling the user to introduce a control panel code, andwherein the signal generator is set to give out a variable generatorcode each time the user introduces the control panel code by means ofthe control panel, and a comparator is provided for comparing thecontrol panel code introduced by the user with the generator code andfor emitting signals announcing the offer of the free product to theuser should the control panel code and the generator code coincide.
 6. Adisplay unit according to claim 5, wherein the control panel includes akeypad.
 7. A display unit according to claim 5, wherein the device forintroducing the control panel code includes a bar code reader.
 8. Adisplay unit according to claim 1 which further includes memory meansfor storing signals or data for reproduction of tunes which the user canchoose by means of the control means.
 9. A display unit according toclaim 1 wherein the control means include a control panel with aplurality of control devices which are selectively operable by the userso as to determine, according to a command given, the generation on thedisplay panel of a corresponding predetermined visual display.
 10. Adisplay unit according to claim 9, which further includes at least onedevice which can be activated to generate acoustic signals or sound orvocal messages.
 11. A display unit according to claim 10, wherein theacoustic signal or message generator is connected to the control meansand is set as to generate corresponding predetermined acoustic signalsor sound or vocal messages according to the command given by the user bymeans of the control panel.
 12. A display unit according to claim 1,which further includes at least one sensor device operable to detect apresence or a passage of a person near the display unit and to emit acorresponding signal activating the control means associated with thedisplay panel or with the acoustic signal or sound or vocal messagegenerator.
 13. A display unit according to claim 10, wherein the devicefor generating acoustic signals or sound or vocal messages includes atleast one electroacoustic transducer, arranged in the display panel. 14.A display unit according to claim 10, wherein the display panel ispivoted onto one side of the opening in the cabinet and can be arrangedin a raised presentation position and in a lowered position in which itacts as a lid for the opening.
 15. A display unit according to claim 1,characterized in that it includes a plurality of light bulbs each beingarranged in a correspondence with a respective static image of theproduct and with a respective associated luminous device.